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A key fixture of Australia's engineering industry that has been involved in more than 30,000 projects is now under new ownership after Canadian multinational AtkinsRéalis acquired Brisbane-headquartered consultancy ADG for an undisclosed sum.
The seeds of ADG were sown in the early noughties when engineers Marco Ficca and Paul Andonaros were told by a client they had a "real knack for solving complicated problems and providing simple solutions" and should strike it out on their own.
Both in their mid-20s at the time and not yet married or with kids, Ficca and Andonaros founded ADG in 2002 and the business has grown steadily since then, developing a strong reputation for its expertise in civil, structural and digital engineering across transport infrastructure, urban renewal, and commercial and residential developments.
Projects the engineering consultancy has worked on include the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village on the Gold Coast, Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, the Morley to Ellenbrook train line in Perth, Sunshine Coast City Hall, the Melbourne Metro Tunnel, and the Alice Springs and Darwin Youth Justice Centres, and Brisbane's Howard Smith Wharves.
Ficca tells Business News Australia the company was entirely bootstrapped and 100 per cent privately owned prior to the acquisition, growing in tandem with a loyal clientele.
"In reflecting through this process we looked at our client list and it's interesting to see that probably 70 per cent of our client base has been with us from very early days," says Ficca, who is the consultancy's CEO.
"We have a long history with the same clients, and as they've grown our business has grown with them. They've taken us into new areas, to new new markets - a lot of our regional expansion has come off the back of our existing clients that have got a project over in Perth or in the Northern Territory, and we've followed them.
"There have been some really defining projects, but I think it's just been a continual evolution of growth and development - just doing what we do well for our clients."
On its website the company reports to have more than 250 engineers and advisors on its team, which now lifts AtkinsRéalis' expert headcount in Australia to 350.
"This move is a great step forward in our growth strategy for Australia and, it will unlock new exciting opportunities for all of us," says AtkinsRéalis president for AMEA (Asia, Middle East & Australia), Richard Robinson.
"By joining forces with ADG, our additional local strength will put us in a better position to pursue the complex infrastructure projects that can grow our team and our business.
"Like us, ADG is innovative, people-focused and client centric and we are both committed to making a difference in the communities in which we work. I am delighted to welcome our new ADG colleagues and look forward to building our future together."
Ficca says the group is excited to become part of AtkinsRéalis and "leverage its global reach to amplify" its impact.
"This partnership will enable us to deliver even greater value to clients, while offering our teams access to larger, more diverse projects and careers," Ficca says.
"We've got a a lot of young people here who want the opportunity to do a stint in in the UK or in North America or somewhere. Now we've got that ability to do that and keep them in the business, and when they're done they can come back here better for it and more experienced."
He highlights a "good fit" culturally when both parties met, at a time when the industry is undergoing regular consolidation.
"There was a good passion for engineering, which was really important - our business is built on technical excellence and our people are very passionate engineers. We saw a lot of that in AtkinsRéalis as well from the conversations that we've had from their global leaders, and I think that's what really cemented the relationship," Ficca adds.
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